St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-25

tiyes in 1871, your correspondent will
say there are tributary to Duluth '1neX-
haustible mines of gold, Unreasonable
veins of silver, impenetrable depths OF
bOundleSS forest, vast coal measures,
wide extended plains of richest paStur-
age, all embraced in this vast territory,
which must, in the very nature OF
things, empty the untold treasures of
its commerce into the lap of
Duluth" Spoken in ridicule six
teen years ago, these words of the
honorable gentleman from Kentucky
have been developed into literal burn
ing truths, which, even their author is
forced to admit, are weak in many par
ticularS. The wonderful iron mines, the
vast tributary pine forests, the great
grain trade, the important marine inter
eStS have developed into commercial
size which commands recognition
throughout the world, and in several in
stances asserts supremacy. During
1887 the receipts of all kinds of grain
at Duluth will reach 23,000,000 bushels,
over half million greater than the pre-
ViouS wear. The shipments for this year
of wheat alone have been 1924, IA
bushels, against 1865, 251 bushels in
1886. There have also been shipped by
lake this year 49,, 553 bushels of corn,
81,365 bushels of oats and 1888 of
barley. g.
In the matter of Illuminating, lubri-
eating and manufacturing oils the total
receipts will not fall far short of 100000
barrels, nearly double the amount of
last season. Coal receipts have grown
from 7:56, 900 tons in 1886 to trifle over
100000 this year, and increased coal
dOckage now under way will furnish ia
cilitieS for receiving over 100000 tons
in 1888. Lake shipments of lumber are
growing very fast, and it may be inter
eSting to note that the two largest lum-
Der cargOeS ever carried on any single
vessel since the world began were
shipped from Duluth this season, and
aggregated 4,590,000, on which the
freight bill was trifie over 81, 900. The
boat was the famous
LUMBER BARGE ''WAHNAPITAE,"
and, if the Sault canal would have
allowed the increased draft she would
have carried over 100000 feet IN the
two cargoes! A comparative statement
of the arrivals and departures of vessels
at Duluth for the past three years shows
at a glance the rapid increase Of the
marine interest and the improvement
in average tonnage:
1887. 1886. 1885.
clearances 2,474 2.1sO 1903
Total TONNAGE, 03O, 767 1904. S31 1872, 2S3
Av. tonnage
of vessels. 81 7IS I6l
The railroad world, or that portion of
it which terminates in Duluth, has been
exceedingly active, and the universal
CRY of scarcity of cars" has become a
chestnut from frequent usage. Duluth
listens TO the rumble of the rails" as
contributed by six different roads, with
a total mileage of nearly $4,000 miles,
as follows: St. Paul & Duluth; North
ern Pacific; Chicago, st. Paul, Mime
apOlis q Omaha; Duluth d Iron Range
ST. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba lover
st. Paul Il Duluth tracks,, and the Wis
conSin Central over Northern Pacific
track.
All these roads report a heavy bust
ness, but figures on the total traffic can
not be given, as the annual reports of
this station are not completed. The
total. however. is over third greater
than the previous year. There are now
building toward Duluth the following
roads: Duluth, South Shore d Atlantic
Duluth q Mackinac; Duluth, Huron &
Denver: Port Arthur, Duluth d South
western; Duluth, Fargo d Black Hills;
Missouri River, Roscoe IL Duluth; Du-
Sioux Falls; Duluth, WATERFOWL & Pa
cifc; Duluth. Pierre & Black Hills. On
many of these the grading is nearly
completed, and on others considerable
iron has been laid. The following list
gives the names of nine projected roads
and extensions which have Duluth for a
terminal objective point:
North Dakota & Pacific; Duluth, Red
Wing d Southern; Duluth, st. Cloud d
MankatO; Lake Superior & South
western; Lake Superior IL Pacific; Chi
cagO, Milwaukee d st. Paul; Mime
sofa IL Northwestern; Chicago, Burling-
ton & Northern; Duluth, st. Paul d
Omaha In order to facilitate the entree
of these feeders the Duluth Terminal
Railway company has been organized
and has surveyed "belt' line for cOn-
venience in transferring freight and
passengers, and also for denoting ter
minal grounds and dock facilities to the
new corners. A large union depot will
be built here in 1888 to cost S260, 900.
Five years ago three switch engines did
all the yard work,
NOW EIGHTEEN ARE EMPLOYED.
The figures fol- last year are not OBJ
tainable, but this year forty-SiX paSSen-
ger tlainS arrive at and depart from Du-
luth daily, exclusive of specials and If
regular trains; a total for the year Of
16,790 trains.
The banking interest of the city has
kept pace with the general prosperity
and advance, and shows nine banks,
with a combined capital of Sl,600,0O0,
and transactions for the year of $780,
900, 900 (eStimated), against four banks,
with a capital of 100000 and transac-
lions amounting to S421 AS, 702 in 1886.
There are two other banks talked of.
The rapid growth of financial interests
made the establishing of clearing
house a necessity, and early in the year
the Duluth clearing house was
organized. and during the portion
of 1887 that it has been in existence
its transactions foot up the respectable
total of Sl35, 900. Bank deposits,
subject to draft, average $1,000 900 from
day to day.
Duluth's wholesale trade is assuming
fair proportions, and there are eighteen
large wholesale firms here, besides a
number of smaller concerns. The re-
tail trade of the city is fOurishing, and
shows number of new business houses.
Duluth is beginning to wake up to the
importance of development in the man
ufacturing line, and eight new manu-
features have been started in the city
during the year, two OF them quite i'm
pOrtant.
The building statistics of the city
show an enormous increase over last
year, the figures being based on esti-
mates for 1887. Among the important
buildings commenced during the year
are the Spalding house, 100000: Hotel
st. Louis addition, s125.0 900; Duluth
National Bank building, $4,000; Pan
ton & Watson block. SSo, 900; O'Brien &
KnOwltOn block, Davis block. five new
elevators and ware houses, besides a